Michael Barry Speaks Up
Canadian Michael Barry responds to doping allegations by Floyd Landis.
There are a lot of great things happening in cycling these days – including the success of Canadians riding at the Tour of California, Giro d’Italia, Tour De L’Aude, and on the mountain bike (cross-country and downhill) World Cup circuit. But unfortunately this good stuff is being overshadowed by the recent comments by former ProTour racer Floyd Landis.
Yesterday leaked emails sent by Landis to a number of American cycling officials sent a minor tremor through-out the ranks of professional and amateur cyclists. Pretty much every cycling blog, website and Twitter account was full of comment, speculation and opinion on Landis’s comments regarding his drug use and that of his former teammates. Landis admitted that he had doped during his career and also named Lance Armstrong, Levi Leipheimer, George Hincapie, David Zabriskie and Michael Barry as fellow dopers.
Perhaps the most shocking of these allegations was the inclusion of Barry in this posse of dopers. Barry, who is currently racing in the Giro d’Italia for Team Sky, responded to these allegations stating:
“I am shocked at the allegations from Floyd Landis. They are completely untrue. A few years ago, I rode for two days prior to the Vuelta a Espana with him, — one 6 hour ride and an easy ride. I did not share or use any banned substances such as EPO when I was riding with him and am shocked at his allegations.
I have nothing to hide. I compete as a clean athlete.
I am proud to be an advocate for change in this sport and am proud to be an athlete who competes without the use of any banned substance. I have been a member of international professional cycling teams that have been staunch supporters of anti-doping and have required additional stringent testing of their athletes.
If there are any reviews of this situation, I am happy to participate in any and all of them.”
Through this controversy, Canadian riders continue to perform at the top of the sport and one can only hope that this news blows over soon and the good rides and progress capture as much attention as does the bad news.
